In 2017 we organised for a second consecutive year an essay competition in the field of regulating the digital society – LIBRe Essay Contest 2017. Once again, the first prize was a LIBRe sponsored participation in the International Summer School in IT Law (IN SITU), organised annually by the Institute for Legal Informatics in Hannover, Germany.
Here is what our essay contest winner shared upon their return!
“Right after the arrival and first introduction to the faculty hosts, every Summer School participant experiences a short moment of “stress”, caused by the initial unpreparedness for such a friendly and informal atmosphere, carefully maintained by the organisers. Prior to the academic activities, participants are given some time to establish personal contacts and to get used to the city vibe.
The lectures are spread over the week days and focus on both practical topics (consumer protection and eCommerce, intellectual property online, private international law, etc.) and more conceptual issues (e.g. autonomous cars, video games as objects of intellectual property, personal data as counter-performance). This wide thematic coverage reveals the organisers’ aim to provide participants with solid theoretical and practical knowledge on the existing legal framework and, at the same time, to give an insight on the future developments in the technological sector and the shifts expected in its legal regulation.
It is impressive how, through the course of teaching, intellectual leaders from the Faculty of Law at Leibniz Universität Hanover are actively gathering the participants’ opinions and personal views. A relatively large part of almost each lecture is dedicated to discussions where the opinion of everyone in the audience is valued. This teaches the participants an essential lesson which every professional in the ICT Law field would need: in order to gain deep understanding of emerging technologies and to be able to predict the negative and positive outcomes of their regulation, you have to develop three important traits – a curious appetite for knowledge on new developments and trends, critical thinking, and the habit of finding the rationale behind every argument.
The four weeks are further colorized by non-academic activities which provide the participants with the opportunity to experience the culture, history, and night life of Germany, including via organized trips to Berlin and Hamburg. Even during the leisure activities, the organisers aim to remind participants of the general purpose of their stay in a gentle and unobtrusive way, by organising, for example, a discussion on the right to be “forgotten” with Google lawyers at the company’s Hamburg office, or a private screening of films such as The Internet’s Own Boy – The Story of Aaron Swartz and Democracy.
Undoubtedly, the most valuable aspect of the Summer School are the participants themselves who come from almost every continent and carry huge variety of cultures, views and personal experience. This is a clear indicator of the global nature of ICT Law issues and, at the same time, guarantees truly valuable and satisfying discussions. I could confirm from my own experience that the shared everyday routine and the common interests create a fruitful environment for establishing sustainable professional and personal connections. The course’s audience variety is a miniature model of the multicultural environment which every ICT Law specialist has to deal with, considering the global scale of the sector.
To sum it up, the International Summer School in IT Law (IN SITU) offers not only practical knowledge but also a fair amount of ideas for career and personal development. Nevertheless, the organisers’ idea is to leave an even greater mark in the students’ minds. Every element, theme, formal or informal meeting during the Summer School is pierced by the same key principle which could be fully felt only at theconclusion of the four weeks there – the understanding that one’s career should bring satisfaction. Because pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”
These wonderful words are exactly what motivate us to go on!
Many thanks to our participants, experts, and partners for the positive emotions and experience and for the great ideas they have been sharing with us for yet another year!
Stay tuned for updates on the third edition of LIBRe Essay Contest 2018!